SCOTTISH TRADE UNIONIST'S REMARKS RING TRUE FOR AFRICANS

At African Stream, we think Scottish trade unionist Jimmy Reid’s remarks in this clip from about 50 years ago are relevant for Africans.

From the continent and throughout the world, governments tell us we have rights. According to international law, a Malian farmer has the same legal rights and responsibilities as Nestlé CEO Ulf Mark Schneider. However, when Malians lost a lawsuit against food companies Nestlé and Cargill for child slavery, we saw that, in practice, equality before the law isn’t real.

Rural Nigerian villagers are allegedly equal to the executives running oil companies Shell and Chevron. But who do you think has the upper hand in the courtroom?

Legally, African Stream has the same rights to freedom of speech as the New York Times, CNN and the BBC. But which do you think has to contend with censorship?

Under capitalism, most of our freedoms are abstract because, while we have the same legal rights as those who rule over us, we do not have the resources to fight to maintain these so-called freedoms.